In the days of ancient Israel, as well as in modern Israelitish nations, the issue of strangers dwelling among the people has been a significant concern. God provided clear instructions on how to handle such matters, emphasizing the importance of cultural unity under His laws. Strangers were openly welcome to live in Israel and were to be treated with the dignity and respect of a homeborn Israelite, having access to all rights, privileges, and responsibilities that fell to the Israelitish people. As recorded in Exodus 12:48-49, when a stranger wished to keep the Passover to the Lord, they were to be circumcised and then could participate as a native of the land, with one law applying to both the native-born and the stranger dwelling among them. Further, Exodus 22:21 commands that strangers should neither be mistreated nor oppressed, remembering that the Israelites themselves were once strangers in Egypt. Leviticus 24:22 reinforces this equality, stating there shall be the same law for the stranger and for one from their own country, as the Lord is their God. Deuteronomy 10:16-19 highlights that the Lord administers justice and loves the stranger, providing food and clothing, urging the Israelites to love the stranger as they were once strangers themselves. Leviticus 19:9-10 also shows provision for strangers through the welfare system, allowing them to glean from the harvest alongside the poor, provided they worked for it. Strangers had direct access to God through the Tabernacle, as noted in Leviticus 17:8-9, provided they acted lawfully. They were also subject to the same spiritual obligations, such as fasting on the Day of Atonement, and could set up businesses in Israelitish lands while adhering to laws like keeping the Sabbath. The key condition was assimilation on God's terms. If a stranger, regardless of race, became an Israelite in culture and faith, they were welcomed to everything Israel offered. However, God strictly forbade multiculturalism, warning against the corrupting influence of foreign cultures and religions that refused to assimilate. In Exodus 23:24-33 and Deuteronomy 7:1-5, He commanded the Israelites to make no covenants with such nations, to destroy their altars, and to drive them out completely, lest they lead Israel into sin. The failure to follow these commands historically led to Israel's corruption from within. Today, a similar challenge faces Israelitish nations with cultural invasions, where immigrants refuse assimilation, threatening national unity and identity as foretold in Deuteronomy 28:43-48, where the alien rises above and the native falls below due to disobedience to God's commandments.

Strangers in Israel, as a concept, resonate with the current issue of illegal immigration in the United States, reflecting a prophetic warning from Deuteronomy 28:44. This scripture foretells that if a nation fails to keep God's commandments, the stranger within will rise to dominance while the native people diminish. The immense financial burden on states like California, Arizona, and New Mexico due to the presence of millions of illegal immigrants mirrors this biblical caution. Arizona's recent law, granting broader authority to law enforcement to detain and deport suspected illegals, stems from the economic destruction and high felony arrest rates attributed to this population, further illustrating the struggle to maintain control and prioritize the welfare of citizens. The federal government's inaction and legal challenges against Arizona's law, despite the staggering costs and crime statistics associated with illegal aliens, underscore a failure to address this invasion, reminiscent of the biblical warning of strangers overtaking a nation.

In the context of holiness and acceptability before God, the term "stranger" carries significant weight among the children of Israel. A stranger, whether a non-Israelite or a Gentile, is considered an alien, someone not recognized or authentic in the eyes of God. This designation applies to any person, Israelite or Gentile, who has not entered into the covenant with God, marking them as unconverted and thus unacceptable for certain roles or responsibilities. Even among Israelites who have made the covenant, a person could be deemed a stranger if unqualified for a specific task, such as an ordinary Levite attempting to perform priestly duties reserved for descendants of Aaron. Such an individual is not recognized by God for that role and is considered inauthentic. The principle of being a stranger extends to offerings and objects used in worship. Only those things sanctified by God are acceptable, and any substitution is labeled as strange, profane, defiled, or abominable. Offerings from a stranger's hand, whether from a foreigner or an uncircumcised Israelite, are not accepted by God, as their corruption is perceived to defile the offering. This underscores that only covenant people, recognized and approved by God, can present acceptable offerings, including the Wavesheaf offering, which must come from the labors of circumcised Israelites on their own land. In a broader sense, strangers are those not cleansed by God, remaining unholy and unacceptable as His children. The laws of clean and unclean further emphasize this separation, teaching that God's holy people are distinct from the world, unable to coexist with its uncleanness. Thus, the concept of strangers in Israel serves as a reminder of the strict standards of holiness and authenticity required to be recognized by God and to participate in His worship and service.

In Israel, the concept of strangers carries significant weight in relation to God's standards of holiness and sanctification. A stranger, as defined in various contexts, is one who does not meet the criteria established by God and is therefore not recognized or acceptable in certain roles or practices. For instance, in Numbers 16:40, it is declared that no stranger, not of the seed of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before the LORD, lest they suffer the fate of Korah and his company. Even though Korah and Dathan were Levites and thus holy in some regards, they were strangers when attempting to perform the priestly duties reserved for Aaron's family, lacking the authenticity and recognition required by God. This principle extends to participation in sacred rituals, as seen in Exodus 12:43-45 and 48-49, where no stranger is permitted to eat of the Passover unless circumcised. An uncircumcised stranger is considered profane and unqualified, but upon circumcision, symbolizing conversion and belief, he becomes holy and recognized by God, able to fully participate in Israel's community life while still being a stranger by birth. The key lies in meeting God's established criteria to be deemed authentic. Furthermore, the notion of strangeness applies to moral and relational standards, as illustrated in Proverbs 5:3 and 20, where a strange woman, described as immoral or adulterous, fails to meet the ideal of a wife. This reinforces the idea that strangeness denotes a deficiency in relation to God's standards, whether in personal conduct or communal roles. Thus, in Israel, a person could be both holy and a stranger simultaneously, depending on the context and the specific responsibilities or standards they are measured against, highlighting the importance of adhering strictly to what God has set apart as acceptable.